Your First Orthopaedic Visit What to Expect & Prepare
A structured consultation at Shiv Orthopaedic Hospital involves an in-depth clinical history, joint kinematics assessment, and a transparent treatment roadmap—most often starting with non-surgical joint preservation.
Consultant
Dr. Ketan Kheni
Credentials
M.S. Ortho (GMC G-18928)
Clinical Approach
Evidence-Based & Ethical
A Consultation Designed Around You, Not Immediate Surgery
A first orthopaedic consultation with Dr. Ketan Kheni involves a comprehensive discussion of your symptoms, a targeted physical examination of your joint mobility and gait, and a meticulous review of any prior scans you bring. Most consultations conclude with a clear diagnosis and an individualized management plan—which frequently does not involve surgery. Bringing previous X-rays, MRI scans, and an up-to-date medication list makes your visit significantly more productive.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
Preparing these documents helps us make the most accurate assessment of how your joint has evolved over time.
Previous Scans & Films (Not Just Reports)
Bring previous X-rays, MRI or CT scans—the physical films or digital DICOM discs themselves. Old imaging demonstrates how joint cartilage and bone alignment have changed over time, which a single new scan cannot reveal.
Complete Current Medication List
A full list of all medications you are currently taking, including drugs for hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and antiplatelet or blood thinners (such as Aspirin, Clopidogrel, or Warfarin).
Past Discharge & Operative Summaries
If you have had previous arthroscopic procedures, fracture fixations, or injections in the same joint, bring past discharge cards or operative notes to give complete surgical context.
Insurance or Scheme Credentials
Bring your Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) card, Maa Card, or private mediclaim health insurance policy card with photo ID if you wish to verify 100% cashless hospital facilities.
Loose, Comfortable Clothing
Wear loose trousers, track pants, or clothing that can comfortably roll above the knee or hip. Thorough joint movement and stability testing cannot be properly evaluated through stiff or tight fabric.
A Family Member or Attendant
Having a companion or caregiver accompany you is encouraged. A second person often helps recall discussion nuances, exercise guidelines, and treatment recommendations.
What Happens During the Consultation
Every appointment follows a structured diagnostic protocol to uncover the root source of pain.
Detailed Clinical History
We analyze precisely where the pain is localized, how long it has been present, what activities exacerbate or relieve it, whether pain awakens you at night, and what conservative treatments (medications, physiotherapy, injections) you have already tried. In clinical orthopaedics, a thorough history often establishes the primary diagnosis.
Physical & Kinematic Examination
Dr. Ketan Kheni assesses your natural walking gait, then meticulously tests joint range of motion, ligamentous stability, muscular strength, and specific anatomical structures. Adjacent joints are routinely checked, because hip pathology frequently radiates pain to the knee, and lumbar spinal disc compression can radiate pain down both limbs.
Targeted Diagnostic Imaging
Standing weight-bearing digital X-rays are ordered only when they will genuinely guide clinical management. Weight-bearing films reveal actual joint space loss under gravity that lying down X-rays miss. Advanced MRI or CT imaging is requested selectively when meniscus tears, ligament disruption, or 3D robotic surgical planning is required.
Transparent Explanation & Plan
You receive a clear, unhurried explanation of what is causing your symptoms, all available evidence-based options, and what each option realistically achieves. When watchful waiting, activity modification, or specialized physiotherapy is the most sensible course, we will clearly recommend doing nothing invasive for now.
Questions Worth Asking Your Orthopaedic Surgeon
You are entitled to clear, direct answers to every one of these questions without feeling rushed:
?What exactly is causing my joint pain and mechanical stiffness?
Distinguishing between wear-and-tear osteoarthritis, inflammatory conditions, meniscus pathology, or referred spinal issues.
?What happens if I decide to do nothing right now?
The question patients most often overlook. Understanding what happens without intervention gives true context to any proposed treatment.
?What are the non-surgical options, and have they genuinely been exhausted?
Exploring therapeutic exercise, weight optimization, anti-inflammatory medications, and targeted injections before considering surgery.
?If surgery is suggested, what does it realistically achieve—and what will it NOT fix?
Aligning expectations regarding pain relief, unassisted walking, and lifestyle flexibility post-procedure.
?What does the recovery involve, week by week?
Clarifying early mobilization protocols, physiotherapy schedules, time off work, and returning to independent driving.
?Is there a compelling clinical reason to operate now rather than in six months?
Understanding whether postponing surgery carries structural risks (e.g. bone loss or severe contracture) or if it is safe to wait.
What a First Visit Usually Is NOT
It is not the day you are pressured to schedule surgery. Most first consultations at Shiv Orthopaedic Hospital culminate in an objective diagnosis and a conservative, non-surgical plan—targeted medication, structured physiotherapy, joint unloading, or lifestyle adaptations—with a follow-up review to assess progress.
Where surgery is genuinely the appropriate clinical choice, there is rarely any need to decide immediately. Taking time to discuss the details at home with your family or seek a second opinion is entirely reasonable, and a surgeon who is confident in the clinical recommendation will never object to that.
Ready to Discuss Your Joint Health?
Consult with Dr. Ketan Kheni (M.S. Ortho, GMC Reg. G-18928) at Shiv Orthopaedic Hospital, Surat. OPD open Monday to Saturday, with 24/7 emergency trauma coverage.